July 2017 Briefing - Psychiatry

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Psychiatry for July 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Google Searches for Suicide Up Post 13 Reasons Why Series

MONDAY, July 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- After the release of the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why -- a show that depicts the suicide of a fictional teenager -- there were surges in the number of Google searches using the term "suicide," according to a research letter published online July 31 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

MONDAY, July 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There has been a seven-fold increase in the number of drivers killed in car crashes while under the influence of prescription opioids, according to a report published online July 20 in the American Journal of Public Health.

MONDAY, July 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to begin a public dialogue about reducing nicotine levels in combustible cigarettes to non-addictive levels through achievable product standards, agency officials said Friday.

FRIDAY, July 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of dementia is increased for older adults with hearing loss, according to a study published online July 22 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

FRIDAY, July 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Short-term walnut consumption is associated with reduced feelings of hunger and appetite and increased activation of the right insula, according to a study published online July 17 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

FRIDAY, July 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- While opioid agonist pharmacotherapy continues to be the recommended therapy for pregnant women with an opioid use disorder, medically supervised withdrawal can be considered under the care of a physician experienced in perinatal addiction treatment and with informed consent, according to a committee opinion published in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

FRIDAY, July 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For cognitively impaired individuals, light therapy has a moderate effect on behavioral disturbances (BDs) and depression, and a small effect on sleep quality, according to a meta-analysis published online July 22 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

THURSDAY, July 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- After years of increases in binge drinking among college students, rates have now dropped, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

THURSDAY, July 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Census reports have demonstrated an increase in the number of physicians and in the actively licensed U.S. physician-to-population ratio from 2010 to 2016, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Regulation.

THURSDAY, July 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Acute mental stress is associated with abnormal left atrial electrophysiology, according to a study published online July 20 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.

THURSDAY, July 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Distinguishing Alzheimer's disease (AD) from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) may get easier using a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approach, according to a study published online July 26 in Neurology.

THURSDAY, July 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For caregivers providing care to cancer patients, lack of training is associated with increasing burden, according to a study published online July 20 in Cancer.

WEDNESDAY, July 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has announced the development of a new alcohol screening and brief intervention manual for use in family medicine practices.

WEDNESDAY, July 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- While opioid abuse has decreased among younger Americans, the same cannot be said for older adults, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

TUESDAY, July 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Greater engagement is reported by patients who read notes and submit feedback, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

TUESDAY, July 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Guidelines have been developed for the use of art therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study published in the July issue of The Arts in Psychotherapy.

TUESDAY, July 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Ninety-nine percent of former National Football League (NFL) players who donated their brain to science were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to a case series published in the July 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

TUESDAY, July 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Teens and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a lower risk of developing an alcohol or drug problem if they take medications to treat their ADHD, according to a study published online recently in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

MONDAY, July 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most women murdered in the United States die at the hands of a current or former intimate partner, according to research published in the July 21 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

MONDAY, July 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with poor mental health have a poorer self-perception of nasal function, according to a study published online July 20 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

FRIDAY, July 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women exposed to estrogen for longer periods of time during the reproductive years may have a lower risk of depression, according to a study published online July 17 in Menopause.

FRIDAY, July 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Perceived physical activity is associated with mortality, even after adjustment for actual physical activity, according to a study published online July 20 in Health Psychology.

FRIDAY, July 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An intervention including education is not associated with an increased rate of hand hygiene or stethoscope hygiene, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

THURSDAY, July 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In the long-standing debate over whether antidepressants are safe to take during pregnancy, a new study, published online July 19 in The BMJ, suggests that exposure to the drugs in the womb might increase a child's risk of autism.

THURSDAY, July 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- People with heart-healthy habits in their 20s tend to have larger, healthier brains in their 40s, according to a study published online July 19 in Neurology.

WEDNESDAY, July 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to distress screening protocols by cancer programs is associated with lower rates of medical service utilization, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

WEDNESDAY, July 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Reductions in opioid dosing might improve pain and function, as well as boost quality of life, according to a report published online July 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

MONDAY, July 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, empowerment is independently associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), according to research published online July 11 in Cancer.

FRIDAY, July 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For early career teachers (ECTs), social network members' burnout levels are associated with increased burnout levels, according to a study published in the August issue of Teaching and Teacher Education.

THURSDAY, July 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Abuse of prescription opioids is second only to marijuana abuse as the most common illegal drug problem in the United States, according to a report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

THURSDAY, July 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There is an increased risk of intellectual disability in children whose mothers take antidepressants while pregnant, but the association appears to be related to factors other than the medication use itself, according to a study published online July 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

WEDNESDAY, July 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), augmentation with aripiprazole is associated with an increased likelihood of remission, according to a study published in the July 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

WEDNESDAY, July 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Medicaid enrollees are largely satisfied with their health care, and most are able to access the care they need when they need it, according to a research letter published online July 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most caregivers who provide care to older adults in the 12 months before death are unpaid, and end-of-life caregivers report more care-related challenges, according to research published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Suitable cognitive screening tools can be used by pharmacists during home medication review, according to research published online July 5 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.

TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Utilization of health services was largely unchanged from 1996-1997 to 2011-2012, but expenditures increased, according to a study published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The number of American adults without health insurance has increased by about two million so far this year, according to a new Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index poll.

TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients may be recording office visits, with or without permission, according to an opinion piece published online July 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

MONDAY, July 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and the Mediterranean-DASH diet Intervention for Neurodegeneration Delay (MIND) is associated with improved cognitive function, according to a study published online recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

MONDAY, July 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Few individuals with history of a mental health or substance use condition, or those who have a previous suicide attempt, commit firearm suicide, according to a research letter published online July 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

FRIDAY, July 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Of the 115 million prescriptions written for opioids each year in the United States, 60 million are for adults with mental illness, according to a study published online July 6 in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

THURSDAY, July 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Market competition levels are associated with changes in the price of generic drugs, according to a study published online July 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

THURSDAY, July 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A severe head injury, especially during middle age, could dramatically increase the risk for developing dementia later in life, according to research published online July 5 in PLOS Medicine.

THURSDAY, July 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a technologically advanced society, physicians need to take advantage of the internet to reach patients and exercise caution in their online presence, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.

WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Teaching coping skills may help reduce the risk that patients with chronic pain will become addicted to opioids, according to research published online June 28 in the Canadian Journal of Pain.